Specimen set-up for artificial teeth



M.'M. HOUSE. SPECIMEN SET-UP FORYARTIFICIAL TEETH.

APPLICATION HLED ocpn', 1920.

1 379 -6890 Patented May 31, 11921.

an rror MIL'US EI- HOUSE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DENTISTS SUPPLY. COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 311, 11921.

Applicaton'filed October 14, 1920. Serial No. 416,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ii, MILUS M. House, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement in Specimen Set-Ups for Artificial Teeth, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has forits object the construction of specimen set-ups for anterior artificial vulcanite teeth, the same being comprised of thesix anterior teeth comprising four incisors and two cuspids and preferably also including the first bicuspid on each side, the structure as a whole being adapted to a suitable support, so as to be temporarily'ipositioned in the mouth for inspection as to the type, form, shade, and arrangement of the teeth, and further for character of the festooning of the rubber about the gum, the' fullness or flatness of the gum, the form of the edge of the vulcanite or metal gum,\ and! the curving of the gum surface, thereby to enable the dentist to select the above qualities which he requires for the particular case, choosing only one number when all the characteristics are found in one set-up, or combining as many numbers as may be necessary to give the desired information. Thereafter, by reference to the full line of specimen set-ups the operator in the laboratory will be able to interpret exactly the dentists speclfication and insure to the, patient a set of teeth best suited to his orher requirements.

As there are a considerable. number of forms or shapes and sizes of artificial teeth as well as a large variety of shades of teeth, it will require a considerable number of setupssto include possible requirements as to these characteristics; and further, it is to be understood that a large variety. of gum characteristics should be exhibited in the set-ups. As a result, .the practical utility of I this invention necessitates the employment of specimen set-ups in sufiiclent varlety to meet all reasonable requirements and such set-ups will constitute a 'line or complete set to be made 'a part of dentists outfit as well as of the laboratory equipments.

It will be understood that these specimen set-ups are not true dentures, but are made of certain general forms and shapes which will permit of their ready adjustment or positioning to the ridge of the gums of the mouth, whereby they may be temporarily teeth with or without held there for inspection and'idecision as to requirements; and while the purpose is to rarily supported in position in the mouth and the device being preferably devoid of a roof plate or equivalent structure, whereby 1t may be readily placed horizontally in position. against gum ridges of any form without regard to true fitting thereto.

My invention further comprises features of construction which, together with those above specified, are more fully set out in the following specification and defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawing: Figure. 1 is a side. elevation of a portion ofa'head showmg one of my improved specimen set-ups adjusted to position in the mouth; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the specimen set-up; Fig. '3 is a rear elevationlof the same; Fig. 4 is an inverted! plan of the same Fig. 5 .is a

- perspective view of the extreme rear end' portion of the same; :Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a metal plate which may be em;-

' ployed to reinforce the vulcanitearch body;

g. 7 is a cross section of a specimen set-up with the relnforcmg plate in position; and

'Fig. 8 is an elevation of the rear end of the specimen'set-up showing a modified manner of supporting it in the mouth.

2 is the arch or semi-circular body and preferably L-shaped in cross section. The body may be of\ metal, vulcanite or other material and approximates, in a general way, the appearance in shape of an anterior portion of a true upper denture except that it has no roof nor defined grooved channel with lingualwall to receive the ridge of the gums, and is only about one-half as long horizontally in that it is devoid of molars and second bicuspids as well as the vulcanite llllo material which would be required for their support. This body 2 has however a flat horizontally curved fioor 3 ,open at the back and provided at the-front with an upwardly curved labial gum flange 5, so that in adjusting the set-up it may be moved horizontally into and out of' place since there are no obstructing parts on the lingual side. Moreover because of this, the body 2 may be easily positioned to. the gum ridge of jaws which it would not actually fit in the sense that fitting would be required in dentures and plates.

The body part 2 is preferably fitted with eight anterior teeth, 4, 7, namely, the four incisors, two cuspids and two bicuspids, which usually show plainly in speaking and laughing; but while this includes the first bicuspids 7, I do not restrict myself to the inclusion of these in the-teeth employed.

The body, at each side back of the bicuspids 7 is thickened as at 6 to provide strength in supporting the bicuspids and also to provide a body of material for receiving the bushings 11 which furnish apertures 8 for receiving the ends '10 of the supportingmeans 9,which, as shown in Fig. 1, may be in form of a handle having Wire arms bent forward at the ends and adapted to enter the holes 8 in the set-ups. 'With a holder of this, or other suitable construction, the

set-ups may be easily'positioned and held.

for unobstructed inspection with freedom of lip movement to shield or expose the teeth and gum portions, as is indicated by the dotted and full lines of the upper lip. In this manner the testing with numerous setups may be speedily done and the desired characteristics decided upon, which are to be incorporated into the dentures to be made from the impression cast taken from the mouth in the usual way.

In practice, a full set of these specimen set-ups usually comprises two arrangements of each of twenty-five of the most frequently used molds in Trubyte teeth for vulcanite plates, or fifty set-ups in all. Setups of this character may be made for any other styles of teeth than those known in the trade as Trubyte, and therefore these are mentioned by way of exampleonly. These set-ups are specially designed and present many of the irregularities which have been found by long experience to be more natural and pleasing in the mouth than a regular and symmetrical arrangement of the teeth; and it is these irregularities associated with the proper tooth forms and gum shapes which are to be followed in the laboratory when once. determined upon by the use of the set-ups. I r

The specimen set-ups each bear a number on the ridge side of the curved portion or body, said number composed of two figures anda letter, the first figure and letter designating the mold number which determines the general characteristic shape of the teeth, and the second number indicating the particular arrangement of that mold. The set-- ample: 2N3, mold 2N, set-up 2, shade 9,

class II, form 2; from which the assistant may at once know the character of denture he is required to make for the mouthimpression furnished him.

The same holes 8 in the set-ups for temporarily adjusting them to the patients mouth, may also be employed to fit suitable pins in the case or cabinet in'whichthey are normally kept for easy selection;

The employment of these specimen set-ups 4 is especially useful in cases where the mouth is not well proportioned to the face, requiring larger teeth than the size of the features would indicate; or where the lip is raised so high in speaking or smiling as. to require the use of teeth which are longer than would otherwise be indicated, to conceal the gum as much as possible.

The set-ups present different forms of gum festooning about the necks of the teeth, simulating different degrees of recession of the gum to provide the desired effect; and different contours of the gums are employed to provide dentists a means of determining upon and obtaining the desired fullness in different parts of the labial flange of the denture.

If the mold shape, the arrangement, the festooning, and the-gum contour presented. in one specimen'set-up are satisfactory, the dentists need only order the laboratory'to make the denture as follows, for example: One full upper denture Trubyte specimen set-up 2E2, shade 7. If, however, the case requires the combination of the characteristics of several set-ups, the dentist may, if necessary, order in the following detail, with exactness heretofore impossible. Make one full upper denture, mold 2D, shade 7 arrange as in Trubyte specimen set-up 2D2, festoon the gums as in specimen set-up 2E3, contour the gums as in specimen set-up 3C2. Y

The gum of each specimen set-up is carefully shaped to diffuse reflected light as this conceals the artificial character of the restoration by avoiding concentration of light that would give to the gum surface an un pleasant appearance, I

In Fig. 8 I have shown the holes 8 for attachment of the set-up upon the handle or support, as opening downward instead of at economy in the manu imaeee the rear as in Figs. 1 to 5, the holes as be fore, however, being in the thickened bod parts 6 back of the teeth. In Figs. 6 and; is shown the use of a stamped metal plate 12 for reinforcing the vulcanite body and this may be employed, if desired, to maintain' strength while lightening the vulcanite body and to prevent accidental breaking of the specimen set-up in case it be dropped.

In making the specimen set-ups, I employ individual teeth, as would be employed in the making of the dentures, but I wish it to be understood that the set-ups need not be made with individual teeth, as the anterior teeth may, if desired, be all molded together in an integral structure and secured to the vulcanite or other body; but in so doing, the general shapes and visible characteristics of the teeth will be faithfully made to follow those of the individual teeth of the corresponding mold form, this modification of my invention bein merely by way of acture. In fact, the entire set-up may be molded as an integral structure and the gum facing of vulcanite of other color-providing material added to give the correct gum appearance, and I, therefore, do not restrict myself in the particular manner in which actually constructed, the final structure as to front appearance and to capacity for reasonably fitting to the guns while temporarily supported being the essential features of the invention to be considered.

The use of set-ups of the character herein outlined would permit them to be made of almost anysuitable material if the question of sterilization could be ignored; but as a repeated use of the same set-up will necessitate thorough sterilization before the same is placed in the patients mouth, and as the most feasible and positive sterilization would be by placing the set-up in a steam sterilizer and removing it therefrom in the patients sight, the use of this method would not be practical with rubber or vulcanite as the basis of the body of the set-up and I have found that a suitable substitute therefor may be provided by casting a metal about the tooth forms when placed in a properly constructed mold prepared from an original set-up in which rubber was employed in preparing the complete shape or form of the set-up. Such a metal body portion of the set-up may be colored by proper plating to give a color resemblance to that of the gums, if so desired. The idea of casting to secure the form of the set-up may be extended even to the tooth forms themselves, and if the entire casting isof metal, then the tooth parts thereof may be enameled or otherwise given a white appearance. It will be understood that while It is desirable to employ the actual artificial teeth for the set-ups and securing them in place by means of the body the set-ups are portion, whether molded, cast or otherwise applied, I do not restrict myself to employing such artificial teeth, and so far as the particular invention is concerned, I may mold a curved form having a front appearance of. such teeth when positioned and vitrify the same, if so desired, and thereafter employ it in connection with the body portion applied thereto in any of the manners hereinbefore referred to. Furthermore, when considering my invention broadly, it is not necessary that the same in cross section or in any other manner shall strictly conform to correspond to full or partial dentures, as it will suflice to provide suitable curved forms which may be placed in position against the ridge. to give an approximation of what the teeth and gums should look like in a completed denture, such forms bein merely pressed or molded to give the said ifront appearance without any regard to the corresponding rear portion.

It will now be. apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the details, as the same. are suscepi'ble of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A specimen set-up for determining tooth and gum characteristics to be incorporated into dentures, consisting of an archshaped body having a curved floor and an upward flange to approximately fit the forward part of the ridge of a jaw, said body having secured thereto the anterior teeth alone and terminating at each side with the position of the bicuspids, and also having the labial surface of the upward flange shaped to represent gum characteristics, said body also provided with means whereby it may be temporarily supported in position in the mouth.

2. The invention according to claim 1, further characterized by having the body provided with symbols which designate the mold shape and shade.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein the body is further provided with a symbol which designates the set-up style.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the posterior portions of the body, beyond the .ends of the row of anterior teeth, are provided with holes for receiving means whereby the specimen set-up may be supported temporarily in position next to the ridge of the upper jaw.

5. A specimen set-up for determining tooth and gum characteristics to be incorporated into dentures, consisting of a curved body shaped to approximately fit the ridge of a jaw, said body having anterior teeth forms, combined with detachable means for the mouth and constitute a handle when the set-up is positioned within the mouth.

7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein the supporting means comprises a handle having wire shaped ends bent at an angle and forming a detachable connection with the body out of alinement with the teeth forms.

8. A specimen set-up for determining tooth and gum characteristics to be incorporated into dentures, consisting of a curved body having a length measured along the labial surface approximately equal to. onehalf the length of a full denture, said body having teeth forms corresponding to anterior teeth alone and said body also having an upward flange providedwith a surface shaped to represent gum characteristics.

9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the body is extended rearwardly slightly beyond the anterior teeth forms at each side and provided with holes therein for receiving means for temporary support.

10. The invention according to claim 8, further characterized by being combined with detachable means for attachment to the body and extending forward beyond the same for sustaining the set-up temporarily in position within the mouth.

11. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the body which is adapted to fit to the ridge of the jaw is composed of metal.

12. A specimen set-up for determining tooth and gum characteristics to be incorporated into dentures, consisting of a curved body having gum characteristics at its up-.

per part on the labial side and tooth forms on its lower part, combined with detachable means whereby it may be supported in relation to the upper jaw independently of the jaws themselves.

13. A specimen set-up for determining tooth and gum characteristics to be incorporated into dentures, comprising a body of horizontal curved form having its labial surface shaped to. provide gum characteristics and its lower part provided with anterior tooth forms, said body also provided with means whereby it may be supported independently of the jaw.

14:. A specimen set-up for determining tooth and gum characteristics to be incorporated into dentures, comprising a set of anterior tooth forms, and a curved metal body cast to the tooth forms and having its front or labial surface shaped to provide gum characteristics.

15. The invention according to claim 14, wherein the labial surface of the metal body is colored to correspond to or resemble natural gums.

In testimony of which invention, 1 hereunto set my hand.

MILUS M. HOUSE. 

